MLB Player News

Means (elbow) struck out four and allowed one run on two hits and no walks in his rehab start Sunday with Double-A Bowie.

Making his third rehab start with Bowie, Means turned in his best effort yet. He upped his innings count and pitch count (57, 38 strikes) and was highly efficient, with the lone run he permitted being a solo home run. The lefty will likely require one or two more outings in the minors to get fully stretched out for a starter's workload before getting the green light to come off the 60-day injured list. The impending return of Means -- who had been Baltimore's unquestioned ace from 2019 through 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery last April -- should provide a boost to the current American League East leaders.

McKenzie (elbow) has yet to resume throwing off a mound but had increased his throwing distance off flat ground to 105 feet as of Thursday, MLB.com reports.

McKenzie appears to be only slightly behind Shane Bieber in their respective recoveries from elbow injuries, as Bieber has stretched out his throwing distance to 120 feet. Both pitchers are tracking toward returns from the 60-day injured list at some point in September, but any setback along the way would put McKenzie at risk of being shuttered for the remainder of the season. McKenzie is in the midst of his second IL stint of the season after he opened the campaign on the shelf while recovering from a right teres major muscle strain suffered late in spring training.

Bieber (elbow) extended his throwing distance off flat ground to 120 feet as of last Thursday, but he hasn't been cleared for mound work, MLB.com reports.

While Bieber appears to be making progress in his recovery from right elbow inflammation, he's moving slowly through his throwing program since initiating it Aug. 2. The Guardians maintain hope that Bieber will be ready to contribute at some point next month, but based on where he currently stands in his recovery from the elbow issue, he might not be ready to go when he's first eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Sept. 10.

Rodon (hamstring) was activated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.

The left-hander is set to rejoin the Yankees' rotation Tuesday versus the Nationals after spending the minimum 15 days on the IL with a strained left hamstring. Rodon did not make a rehab start, instead opting for a five-inning simulated game. Given how poorly he was pitching before the injury and perhaps less than a full workload on the docket, fantasy managers would be wise to keep Rodon benched for now, if possible.

Eovaldi (forearm) faced batters during a live batting practice session Monday, MLB.com reports.

Eovaldi was encouraged following the session, estimating that only one of the batted balls would have been a hit. The right-hander believes he could get big-league hitters out now if asked to pitch; however, neither Eovaldi nor Texas manager Bruce Bochy would confirm his next step. A rehab start could be in the offing, but the possibility exists Eovaldi could immediately come off the 15-day injured list and return to the rotation as soon as later this week.

Montgomery pitched eight scoreless innings in a no-decision against Arizona on Monday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six batters.

Montgomery was excellent in the outing, racking up 16 swinging strikes and holding the Diamondbacks without an extra-base hit. He got very little run support but still looked to be in line for the win upon his departure, as Texas held a 1-0 lead heading into the ninth. The Rangers' bullpen couldn't hold on, however, saddling Montgomery with a no-decision. Nonetheless, the southpaw picked up his fifth straight quality start, the last four of which have come since he joined Texas at the trade deadline. Since becoming a Ranger, Montgomery has posted a 1.73 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 26:3 K:BB over 26 frames.

Marsh worked 5.2 innings as the primary pitcher Monday against Oakland, giving up three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out nine batters in a no-decision.

Tucker Davidson got the start for Kansas City and was followed in the second inning by Taylor Hearn, who recorded just one out. Marsh came on in relief and struck out the first two batters he faced before serving up a single run in each of the third, fifth and sixth frames. Two of those runs came on solo homers, continuing Marsh's problems with the long ball -- he's now given up 12 home runs over 43.2 innings on the campaign. Though Marsh's 5.56 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 5.2 BB/9 and 0-6 record on the season are far from inspiring, he's struck out 50 batters over 43.2 frames overall and has been better of late while mostly working behind an opener, posting a 4.12 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over his past four outings covering 19.2 frames.

Blackburn allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings in a no-decision against Kansas City on Monday.

Blackburn exited the contest in line for his second straight win, but a late Royals rally saddled him with a no-decision. Nonetheless, the right-hander continued his late-summer surge -- over his past six outings, he's picked up four quality starts while posting a 2.25 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 36:12 K:BB over 36 innings. The strikeouts are particularly intriguing, as Blackburn has registered a 9.2 K/9 this season after recording a paltry 6.0 K/9 over nearly 250 innings across his first five MLB campaigns. He's not the most exciting rotation piece in fantasy, but given the improved strikeout numbers and recent run of success, Blackburn is worth at least a look for managers in need of starting pitching.

Paxton (7-4) yielded seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks over four innings Monday, striking out four and taking a loss against Houston.

Paxton gave up four runs through two innings and then served up a three-run homer in the fourth. It was a rare misstep for him this season; he'd allowed seven runs over his last four starts combined. Paxton saw his ERA climb to 3.79 with a 97:26 K:BB through 17 outings. His next start is projected to be at home against the Dodgers.

Javier (9-2) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings Monday, striking out three and earning a win over Boston.

It wasn't Javier's cleanest outing but he looked sharper after coughing up a three-run shot in the first inning. He produced a 2.90 ERA through 14 starts to begin the year but owns an ugly 7.33 ERA over his last 10 outings. He's now sporting a 4.52 ERA with a 115:45 K:BB through 127.1 frames. Javier's next outing is lined up to be in Detroit this weekend.